Daytona Beach, Fla. — Even before Landon Cassill raced his way into the Daytona 500 with low-budget Hillman Racing, he’d had an eventful week.

“I was riding my bicycle in Daytona on Saturday and got hit by a car,” Cassill said. “It was pretty bad, but I’m all right now.”

Cassill earned the 18th starting spot with a finish of ninth in the second of two Budweiser Duel qualifying races.

“It’s actually healed pretty well,” said of facial injuries. “I’m really lucky. Got some road rash on my arms and legs. Inside of my knees were bruised up pretty badly. But my face took most of the fall. Just the chin.”

Cassill was cleared by NASCAR officials before qualifying Sunday.

“Unfortunately, it was the motorist’s fault. I mean I blame myself a lot for the position I put myself in,” he said. “I was in the bike lane and had the right of way. It’s really not funny, I could have gotten really hurt.

“But, yeah, I was in a bike lane. The woman was trying to cross the road from a side street and cleared herself to the right, kind of rolled the stop sign, I believe, T‑boned me really. Destroyed my bike. Face plant, blood. But I made the Daytona 500 and she doesn’t know that.”